A Day in the Life
by MrPresident
Summary: A day in the life of a certain ER doctor and nurse. *Completed*
1. Dinner Date

**A Day in the Life**

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**Disclaimer: Don't sue me I know not what I do.**

**Summary: Stuff happens. **

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**Chapter One – Dinner Date.**

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Abby and Carter were walking towards the admin desk discussing something of great importance that could change the world as we know it. 

"Man, that guy was smelly." Carter said.

Abby didn't respond. Carter noticed and know exactly why she was didn't reply.

"Look Abby, it's not that I don't want to go but…" He tried to think up a good excuse but he failed. "…Yeah, okay, I don't want to go."

Abby stopped walking and turned to face him. "Fine, but all I'm saying is that you have a duty to go." 

"A duty? You sound like Gamma."

"I hope that doesn't do anything for ya." 

Before Carter could respond she had gone into exam room two. Carter stood motionless looking at the door for a moment and then carried on to the admin desk. There he picked up a chart and started looking at it before a familiar voice interrupted him. 

"What was that all about?" Susan said.

"Err…nothing. She," He pointed in the direction of exam room two, "wants us to go to this big charity thing."

"You're not big on charity?"

"No, it's not that. It's just…well, another Carter family function, you know."

"Actually I don't know."

"Ah, about that. You see…"

"I understand Carter, you don't have to explain." Susan looked dead serious but her tone was playful, "You were ashamed of me."

"Yeah, that was it."

"So, why don't you want to go?"

"I don't know. It's just not me." Carter paused then added. "That sounded kind of conceited, didn't it?"

"Kind of."

"Yeah, well, basically I don't want to go."

"And that sounded kind of childish."

"That's me. I'm inner child guy." He said in a mock-superhero voice.

"I'm pretty sure that's impossible."

"Impossible isn't in my vocabulary. However I do have six different words for…" He hesitated and then thought better of it. "…something else."

"That's charming, Carter."

"Now there are two words you don't hear together too often." Abby had finished in exam room two and had come to the admin area in search of a doctor.

"Abby, we were just talking about you." Said Susan.

"All good I hope."

"Of course." Said Carter.

Abby looked at Carter for just a moment then looked down at the chart she was holding. "You have a patient in exam one. He complains of stomach pains."

"Okay, after you." Carter gestured Abby in the direction of the room.

"Carter?" Asked Susan.

"Yeah?"

"You should go."

Carter nodded and then followed Abby. When Abby judged they were out of ear-shot she whispered to Carter, "See, told you."

Carter waited until Abby was just walking into the room when he replied in a clearly audible mumble, "Women."

Abby gave him a look but before she could respond the patient beat her too it, "Tell me about it, doc."

The patient was a balding middle-aged man who thought exercise was a low-fat yoghurt. He was sitting up on the hospital bed trying to get used to the gown he had protested strongly against wearing. 

"So what seems to be the problem…" Carter looked down at his chart then back at the patient. "…Mr Thompson?"

Mr Thompson replied in all seriousness, "My girlfriend tried to poison me."

Abby, who was at the side of the bed setting up medical equipment, looked straight at Carter and said, "What did you do? Make your girlfriend stay at home instead of taking her for a night of dinner and dancing?"

Mr Thompson looked confused, "No. I slept with her sister."

Abby turned to Mr Thompson with shock on her face, "And she only poisoned you?"

"Hey! You haven't seen her sister." Mr Thompson said defensively. "She is hot, I mean, really hot. You know what I'm talking about, don't you doc?"

Both Mr Thompson and Abby focused their attention on Carter who had been looking at the chart but now looked up to find them staring at him. He paused for a moment and then, casting his eye in Abby's direction, said, "No, my girlfriend doesn't have a sister." Then he went back to examining the chart.

Mr Thompson looked at Carter than at Abby with a little bit of curiosity but put that aside and carried on, "Well, anyway, she went all psycho when she found out and now I have these terrible stomach pains."

"So you don't know if she actually poisoned you?" Carter asked while putting the chart away.

"Well, no, but it doesn't exactly take a rocket scientist to work it out, does it?"

"We are going to run some tests just to be sure, Mr Thompson." Carter said before motioning Abby outside.

When they were outside of the room Abby looked up at him and asked, "So?"

"Sounds a little suspicious to me. Better do an CBC, EKB, ECG, blood cultures and some urine."

Abby notices this down and then looks back at Carter, "And the other thing?"

Carter looks confused for a moment before he realises what she is talking about, "Oh. No, if you had a sister I wouldn't sleep with her regardless of her hotness."

Now it is Abby's turn to look confused, "What? That wasn't what I was talking about. I wanted to know if you were going to the charity thing or not."

"Ah…" Carter knew he had just made a big mistake.

"And what makes you think if I had a sister she would be hotter than me?"

"Well, you see…"

"And why would she want to sleep with you anyway?"

Carter was saved by the appearance of Chuny, "Carter, we have multiplies coming in."

"Yes!" 

Chuny looked at Carter as if he was a madman. 

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant…oh, forget it."

Carter followed Chuny outside to wait for the hospitals.


	2. With A Little Help From My Friends

**Chapter Two - With A Little Help From My Friends.**

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Abby had approached the admin area in an unusual situation; she had nothing to do. The board was fairly clear, which as everyone knew was a bad sign. Kind of like the calm before a storm. She placed a chart on the rack and said to Susan, "Kind of like the calm before a storm."

Susan also had nothing to do. Well, she did have something to do but she thought that naked guy could wait a little longer. Anyway she was too busy trying to see if she could get a paper ball into the trashcan. "Yeah." She replied without looking up.

"What ya doing?" Asked Abby seeing what Susan was doing.

"Trashketball."

"Oh." Abby turned and surveyed the emergency room before adding breezily, "You might want to aim a bit lower."

"I know what I'm doing." Susan said before throwing the paper ball. It completely missed not only the trashcan but also the desk behind the trashcan. It landed at the floor of Chen who was treating a patient. She picked up the paper ball, looked over at Susan and called, "You might want to aim a bit lower."

"Yeah, thanks." Replied Susan.

"Told you." Said Abby.

"Yeah, thanks." Again replied Susan, but this time with something resembling sarcasm.

Nothing of them said anything for a minute or so. Finally Susan asked, "So are you going or not?"

Abby looked confused.

"To the charity thing." Susan added.

"Oh. I don't know. Carter doesn't want to but..." She paused.

"You do?" 

"I suppose. I mean I'm not a big fan of the whole Carter family..." Abby tried to think of an appropriate word, "...thing. But it would be nice to go to formal, you know, as a couple."

"You want him to show you off to his family?"

"Well...yeah."

"That's understandable."

"Apparently not to him."

"Well, he is a man."

"That's true." Said Abby with a smile. "But we shouldn't use it against him."

Now Susan was also smiling, "No, we shouldn't."

They both paused and looked at each other but laughing.

"What are you two laughing?" Asked Chen who had finished with her patient and came to deposit a chart.

"Men." Replied Susan and Abby together.

"Oh. What have they done now?"

"Carter won't take me to a charity thing." Answered Abby.

"Why?" Asked Chen.

"He says it's not his thing." Replied Susan.

"That's a kind of conceited, isn't it?" Said Chen placing her chart on the rack.

"Oh!" Said Susan in excitement turning to face Abby. "You should play the shoe shopping card."

"Oh, that's a good one." Said Chen.

Abby didn't know what they were talking about, "I don't know what you're talking about." She said.

"The shoe-shopping card..." Susan paused as if this was explanation enough but as Abby continued to look confused she carried on. "You say that you will do what he wants this time if he will take you shoe shopping."

"Works every time." Added Chen.

Susan nodded.

"The shoe-shopping card..." Abby said to herself.

She was about to ask something when Carter approached. 

"I think we need to talk." He said. He looked over Abby's shoulder at Susan and Chen who were busy trying to look busy before added, "Over there."

Abby followed Carter and threw the paper ball, she had been holding, over her shoulder as she went. It landed dead centre in the trashcan with a reassuring thud.


	3. Through the Looking Glass

**Chapter Three - Through the Looking Glass**

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"Abby..." Carter paused as if to compose himself. He had taken Abby out of the earshot of Susan and Chen but he knew they were watching. He looked over to confirm this and he was right. They weren't even being discrete about it. However he put them out of his mind as he concentrated back on Abby who was getting a little impatient. "Abby..." He repeated. "I think we should..." For some reason his brain was having trouble forming complete sentences. Must have been that extra cup of coffee today. He tried again, "Abby..." 

However before he could get any further she interrupted. "John, I know what you're going to say."

"You do?" He was surprised.

"Yes. And I think you're right."

"I am?" He was very surprised.

"Uh-huh. We should stay home tonight if that is what you want."

Carter was stunned. He didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say."

Abby ignored him, "Just like we should go shoe shopping as that is what I want." She waited for his response expectantly.

He stopped to think for a moment then said with a grin, "Great."

"Great?" Now Abby was surprised, very surprised.

"Yeah. I think it's fair."

"Fair?"

"Yeah."

Abby couldn't believe what had just happened. "But...but..." She was so shocked she couldn't think of any other word to say. "...But..."

However before she could Carter was called away by a nurse. Abby was left standing in the corridor with a look of complete disbelief on her face. 

Susan and Chen approached. "So?" Asked Susan. "Did it work?"

"Did it work?" Abby repeated the question in a dull monotone as if not really hearing it. "Did it work?" She repeated it again but this time with feeling. "No, it didn't work!"

"Oh. It has always worked with me. Has it always worked with me?" Susan asked Chen.

"Yeah. It always worked with me." Replied Chen.

Abby was back in disbelief mode. "Oh my God." She said as if she had just realised something. 

"Don't worry Abby, it's not that bad. So you don't get to go to some stupid charity ball. So what?" Said Susan trying to comfort her friend.

"No, it's not that." Said Abby turning to face Susan with a look of horror on her face. "I have to take him shoe shopping with me."

"Oh." Said Susan and Chen at the same time.

"And you know what is even worse?" Abby didn't wait for a reply. "I'm going to spend the whole of my shift thinking about it." 

"Hey, you might get lucky. Maybe we'll be so busy you won't have time to think." Said Susan.

"We would have to get pretty damn busy." Replied Abby.

Just then Chuny walked up to the three of them and said, "There was a massive pile-up on the freeway. Lots of people hurt."

"Yes!" Shouted Abby.

Chuny looked at Abby as if she was a mad...err...person. 

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant…oh, forget it."

***** [One shift later] *****

"So, did you think about it?" Asked Susan as Abby got her coat out of her locker.

"Think about what?" She replied.

"So it worked." 

"No, of course it didn't work. I couldn't stop thinking of it." Replied Abby.

"Oh." Was all Susan could say.

Just then Carter came in. He looked at Abby and asked, "You ready?"

"Yeah." She replied in an unhappy tone. 

She grabbed the rest of her stuff and followed Carter out of the lounge. As they walked out of the hospital she went to adjust her hat but stopped dead in her tracks. There was a large black limo parked up on the curb. She turned to say something to Carter but he had continued on walking. She caught up to him and said as they approached the limo, "You know, that looks just like the limo you took me to the museum benefit. Remember?"

He didn't immediately look down at her but when he did there was a large grin across his face. He didn't say anything instead he turned back to face the driver of the limo who had gotten out of it as they approached. The driver tapped his hat and said to Carter, "Mr Carter."

"Hey, Gus." Carter replied, shaking his hand. "Thanks for getting here on such short notice."

Abby was in the same sort of disbelief she had been earlier. More so perhaps. 

Gus opened the door and waited. Carter turned to Abby and asked, "Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to a charity ball?"

"But I don't have anything to wear." Was all that Abby could say.

"The clothes are in the car as requested, mam." Answered Gus.

Abby looked up at Carter, smiled, and then got into the car. 


	4. End

**Chapter Four - End.**

"And it was at that ball that your grandfather proposed." 

An obviously old lady was sitting on a rocking chair by a smouldering fire surrounded by three small children. The children were looking up her with an interest in their eyes that they usually reserved for a large purple dinosaur. Just then a much younger woman entered the room, "You're not telling that story again, are you?"

"They asked for it." Said the old lady.

"I don't think they could ever do anything bad enough to deserve that." Said the young woman before going back to the kitchen.

The old lady moved closer to the children and whispered with a smile, "Your mother inherited that from your grandfather, not me."

"Do you miss him?" Said the youngest of the children.

"Of course." The old lady leaned back and looked at some distant point on the wall, "Everyday. He was a great man, you know. A great man. Did I ever tell you how we first met?"

Before any of the children had a chance to answer the young woman returned and said, "Yeah, like a million times."

"I thought you were cooking the dinner."

"I am."

"Doesn't look like it."

"All right, calm down, Mama." The young woman headed back the kitchen, "It's nearly ready anyway."

"That's your cue to get cleaned up." Said the old lady to the children.

The children then made their way out of the room except for the youngest. She remained at the feet of the old lady and said, "That was a great story, Nan."

The old lady looked thoughtful, "Yeah, it was." 

She remained looking into the distance for a moment before looking back at the child and saying, "Now, come on and clean up or you'll miss dinner."

**_Author's Note: That's all folks._**


End file.
